What is responsive design?

One of the biggest challenges faced by web designers is the lack of control that they…have over their medium.…Take print design for example.…If I'm designing this magazine layout, I'll need to deal with variables such as paper…stock, what type of press it's printed on, and which inks I'll use.…While these choices may influence my design decisions, I'm still designing for fixed dimensions.…I'm largely in control of the entire process, and the people that consume this content will…experience it in exactly the same way.…

Now, contrast that with web design.…When I create content for the web, I have to deal with an almost overwhelming set of…variables in how that content will be consumed.…For example, I have to consider the wide variety of browsers and operating systems that people might be using,…whether my content is accessible to screen readers or other accessibility-enabled devices,…how my content will look if and when it's printed, or whether they're attempting to access…my content on any one of the growing number of diverse web-capable devices that don't…

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Released

10/31/2012

Web projects need to work across multiple devices, screen sizes, and browsing contexts. Web designs need to be responsive to these variables, providing an optimal viewing experience for each scenario. In this course, author James Williamson introduces responsive design to new web designers and fills in any gaps experienced designers may have, while providing a deeper exploration of how current trends in devices, connectivity, and user experience are driving its adoption. The course covers concepts like screen density, fluid grids, and responsive images, as well as actual design strategies that guide you from mock-up to testing.